Security officials in the Trump administration are considering a plan to cut refugee admissions to nearly zero, three people familiar with the plan have reported.
At a meeting concerning refugee admissions, Citizenship and Immigration Services official John Zadrozny and Andrew Veprek of the State Department, both of whom are known as allies of hardliner White House immigration adviser Stephen Miller made a suggestion to cap off admissions at zero, reports Politico.
Later in the day, Homeland Security officials suggested setting the admissions level at anywhere from 3,000 to 10,000 people, still marking a drastic cut, as the administration slashed refugee admissions by one-third to 30,000 this year.
Advocates following the issue say the cuts could strand people already in the system while hindering resettlement agencies from processing refugees.
The meeting took place last week in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and included representatives from the departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Defense, and the National Security Council.
Zadrozny and Veprek both argued to lower the refugee cap because of security concerns and the ability to offer protections through the asylum process. They later said the administration still has the discretion to admit fewer refugees, according to a source.
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump signed an order that requires migrants traveling through other countries to come to the United States to apply for asylum in those countries first.
The agencies are expected to submit their recommendations for the cap by Aug. 1. However, the Defense Department wants the administration to keep the refugee ceiling higher, as several Iraqi nationals have helped the U.S. military with mission support.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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